The U.S. federal district of Washington, D.C., first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1903. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1907, when the district began to issue plates.[1] Plates are issued by the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV). Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers. In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.[2] The first Washington, D.C. license plate that complied with these standards was issued three years beforehand, in 1953 (dated March 31, 1954). Some serial blocks believed to be reserved for motorcycles.[3] Letters A, B, C, D, H and R used on non-passenger vehicles. This practice continued through 1934.[4] Revalidated through March 31, 1944, with black tabs, then through March 31, 1945, with white tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II. Only rear plates issued due to ongoing metal shortage. Letters B, C, D, H, L, M, R and T used on non-passenger vehicles. This practice continued through March 31, 1955.[4] Revalidated through March 31, 1955, with dark green tabs. Serials with B, C, D, H and L as the first letter used on non-passenger vehicles. This practice continued through March 31, 1964.[4] Since November 2000, the standard Washington, D.C. license plate design has featured some form of the slogan "Taxation Without Representation", referring to the circumstance that the district's residents face, in common with U.S. territories, in which they must pay federal income tax but cannot elect a voting member of the United States Congress.[5] Validated from April 1, 1967, through March 31, 1968, with stickers. Monthly staggered registration introduced August 1, 1983. All plates replaced between 1984 and 1986. Plates with all-numeric serials still validated including April 2016 all-numedic remake on the 2013 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA base[6] Slogan changed in 1991 in honor of the district's bicentennial. FN-4000 to GV-9999; JA-0000 to JF-5232 (as of May 30, 2023)[7] Temporary-use permits supplemental to registration plates; issued to heavy trucks registered outside of D.C. Infrequently issued. Validated with plate stickers, as opposed to windshield stickers. Current highest serial seen: AP-1396 (on October 28, 2021). Current serial sequence began 1974 at B-101; serials became screened at around B-40500. Current highest serial seen: B-52131 (on November 2, 2020). Current serial sequence began 1974 at C-101; serials became screened at around C-68000. Current highest serial seen: C-82000 (on June 3, 2021). Generally issued on the same cycle as passenger plates until 2004, when annual plates with a unique design each year began. Serial sequence began at  H/P001; the letters were dropped when the "Celebrate & Discover" slogan was introduced, at around  12000. Current highest serial seen:  26021 (on October 6, 2020). Issued to vehicles owned by official representatives of Taiwan. No longer issued. Current serial sequence began 2000 at D/C 0001. Current highest serial seen: D/C 14350 (on June 3, 2022). D.C. Water plates replaced WASA plates in October 2011. Issued to vehicles that are at least 25 years old. Serial sequence began at H/M/V1; serials became fully screened at around H/M/V900. Current highest serial seen: H/M/V3018 (on May 11, 2020). MT series began in 2002.MR series began in 2010 but was not issued to completion beforeMC series began in 2012.MR series later issued to completion.MX series began in 2019 but was not issued to completion beforeMY series began in 2021. Current serial sequence began 1974 at H-101; serials became screened at around H-85500. H-99999 reached early 2011, followed by 00001-H onwards. Current highest serial seen: 05395-H (on February 26, 2022). X series began in 2001.Z series began in 2003.K series began in 2007.N series began in 2011. Issued only by Tesla, Inc. since 2014, when the only other new car dealerships in D.C. moved to Maryland. Current serial sequence began 1974 at T-101; serials became screened at around T-15500. Current highest serial seen: T-20013 (on May 8, 2020). 2001-2017: Annual plates; unique design each year.2018-2019; 2022-2023: Plate valid for 2 years.2020-2022: Plate valid for 2 years; renewed for third year with sticker. Upon reaching ENV 9999, serials reverted to 1-999 range. Personalized, Disabled American Veteran, and personalized disabled person also available. Two designs:WASHINGTON CAPITALS began at CAP 0000; 2018 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS began at CAP 0500. ^ a b c d e f g h The flag of the District of Columbia is used as a serial divider. ^ "Old District of Columbia License Plates". LeatherLicensePlates.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017. ^ Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62, no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association. ^ Taylor, Eric Robert. "District of Columbia Archive". PorcelainPlates.net. Retrieved September 27, 2017. ^ a b c Tanner, Eric N. "District of Columbia Passenger License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020. ^ Chan, Sewell (November 5, 2000). "Message Gets Rolling; D.C. Government Enlists Residents' Vehicles In Campaign for Congressional Representation". The Washington Post. p. C01. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2008. ^ "1984 Capital City Baseplate". DCplates.net. Retrieved September 6, 2018. ^ "District of Columbia License Plates". www.licenseplates.cc. Retrieved May 30, 2022. ^ a b "Organizations Offering DC DMV Vehicle Tags | DMV". This page was last edited on 26 February 2024, at 21:57 (UTC). additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.